center for psychotraumatology

Center for Psychotraumatology

Institute of Psychology

Vilnius University

Annual report

2018

Introduction 4

About the Center 6

Staff 7

International collaborations 9

Research projects 9

Research grants 9

Publications 11

Conference presentations 13

Training and clinical services 14

Table of content

Center for Psychotraumatology 4

2018 Year in Review

The year 2018 was a major turning point for the Vilnius Center for Psychot-raumatology (PTC) headed by prof. dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas. The year was marked with an official establishment of the Center, also the year was fruitful of research output, and new exciting initiatives. This is a brief over-view of the last year‘s PTC activities, followed by the full 2018 Annual Re-port.

After almost two decades of research in the field of psychotraumatology in Lithuania, Center for Psychotraumatology at the Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, was established in March 2018. Center for Psychotrauma-tology aims to be the leading research excellence center of psychotrauma and stress-related disorders in the Baltic region. Besides building the infrast-ructure of the Center, priority in 2018 was given to establishing collabora-tions with other leading trauma research centers across Europe, and joining European collaborative psychotrauma research centers network. Collabora-tion with Norwegian Center of Violence and Trauma (NKVTS) was started, also collaboration with Danish National Center of Center for Psychotrauma-tology (prof. A. Elklit) was renewed. Collaboration agreement was signed with Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, the leading psychotrauma center in the Netherlands. Long lasting collaboration with Division of Psychopatholo-gy and Clinical Intervention, University of Zurich lead by prof. A. Maercker was very important for us.

We at Vilnius Center for Psychotraumatology were proud of the achieve-ments of the current staff, and inspired by the new excellent members. A recognition of psychotraumatology was marked with a new position of pro-fessor of clinical psychology (with specialization in psychotraumatology). The Head of the Center prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas was appointed to this posi-tion. We were proud that postdoc researcher dr. Paulina Zelviene received the honorable National Award for Young Scientists in Social and Humanita-rian Sciences from the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

Introduction


Introduction

Dr. J. Eimontas completed PhD studies and recieved his doctoral degree with a dissertation on internet-delivered interventions. A new PhD position was established via grant from the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL), and experienced clinical psychologist Ieva Daniunaite joined our adolescence study. We also have an internship program, which was funded by RCL, and intern Monika Kvedaraite successfully joined our research team.

Year 2018 was productive in research output. We were lucky enough to ha-ve our publications accepted in major traumatic stress journals, the Journal of Traumatic Stress and European Journal of Psychotraumatology. We also had more research output in collaboration with our partners from other institutions. We aimed to a more complex research designs, with longitudi-nal and cross-cultural studies as our priorities in 2018. While in 2018 we did not conduct intervention studies, we were still analyzing data from the pre-vious trials, and planning future interventions studies. We focused more on a developmental process of trauma and stress-related disorders, and star-ted planning a longitudinal study of adolescence trauma and resilience, data collection for this study will start in 2019.

We expect to maintain the growth of the Center of Psychotraumatology in the year 2019. We aim to strengthen our international collaborations. Our main projects will be focused on the large adolescence study in Lithuania, and also study in collaboration with University Hospital on psychological effects of heart surgery or other diseases.

Prof. dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas


The Center has a long-term expertise in psychotraumatology, which is reflected in a number of conducted research projects, published scientific papers, national and international collaboration. The main research focus of the Vilnius Center for Psychotraumatology is on disorders specifically asso-ciated with stress. The Center is involved in research on the resilience and risk factors of the stress-related disorders, development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions. The Center is led by prof. dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas.

Mission

Acknowledgment of the effects of trauma on individuals and society by pro-viding evidence-based knowledge of trauma responses for development of care for trauma survivors.

Vision

Leading psychotraumatology research excellence center in the region con-ducting high quality trauma-related research.

Areas of expertise

Psychotraumatology; stress-related disorders: posttraumatic stress disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder; psychological assessment; evaluation of psychosocial interventions; treatment studies; internet-based interventions; resilience; effects of political violence and oppression.

About the Center of Psychotraumatology


Prof. dr. Evaldas Kazlauskas is a clinical psycholo-gist, and a leading expert of stress-related disorders in Lithuania. He is the Head of Center for Psy-chotraumatology at Vilnius University. Evaldas has been involved in psychotraumatology research and clinical practice since 2000. He is a board member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and President of the Lithuanian Society for Trau-matic Stress Studies.

Dr. Paulina Zelviene is a clinical psychologist and one of the leading new generation psychology re-searchers in the Baltic region. Paulina is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Psy-chotraumatology, Vilnius University. Scientific achievements of Paulina have been recently acknowledged by the Lithuanian Academy of Sci-ence – for an exceptional research she received 2018 Award for Young Scientists from the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Neringa Grigutyte is a clinical psychologist and received her PhD from Vilnius University with a focus on effects of childhood sexual abuse. Neringa participated in a number of national and interna-tional research projects. She is a current President of the Lithuanian Psychological Association.

Core staff members

Staff


September, 2018. Dr. P. Zelviene was on a two week scientific visit to Nor-wegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS), Universi-ty of Oslo.

May, 2018. Prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas was on a two week scientific visit to Na-tional Center for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern Denmark.

PhD students

Dr. Jonas Eimontas defended PhD thesis ‘Internet-based intervention for adjustment disorder: outcomes of a self-help modular program’ in Novermber, 2018. Supervisor prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas.

PhD student Goda Gegieckaite. Research project ‘Complexity of posttrau-matic stress reactions: construct validity and predictors’. Expected defense in October, 2020. Project is funded with external funding by the Grant from the Research Council of Lithuania. Supervisor prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas.

PhD student Ieva Daniunaite. Research project ‘Risk factors and changes of adjustment disorder symptoms’. Expected defense in October, 2022. Pro-ject is funded with external funding by the Grant from the Research Council of Lithuania. Supervisor prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas.

Interns

Monika Kvedaraite, since June, 2018

Leonora Engelbach (Germany) Ferbruary-April, 2018

Students

Staff

Staff exchange

Agne Madeikyte

Gintare Astrauskaite

Gintare Korsakaite

Ieva Stonyte

Jogile Medeisiene

Karolina Jocyte

Karolina Maceviciute

Lukas Juozapavicius

Miglė Rudyte

Ruta Budreckyte

Saule Makutenaite

Vaiva Milasiunaite


Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, The Netherlands Danish National Centre for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern

Denmark Division of Clinical Psychopathology and Intervention, University of Zur-

ich, Switzerland Internet, health and clinical psychology research group, Linköping uni-

versity, Sweden Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, University

of Oslo StressLab, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poland European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

The structure of ICD-11 trauma syndroms and psychometric properties of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) in Lithuanian popula-tion

Long-term effects on health-related quality of life and stress-related disorders after heart surgery

Effects of childhood trauma and resilience in adolescence Cross-cultural study of trauma adversity and resilience metaphors Vilnius ICD-11 Adjustment Disorder Study

PostDoc research project ‘Effects of Childhood Trauma: Stress and Resili-ence’ (STAR-A) (2017–2019). This research is funded by the European Social Fund under the No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-02-0096 ‘Development of Competenc-es of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities’ measure. PI dr. P. Zelviene, scientific advisor prof. dr. E. Kazlaus-kas. Project budget 42,502 EUR.

PhD research project ‘Longitudinal study of stressors and stress-related disorders in adolescent’ (2018–2022). PhD student - I. Daniunaite, expected defense in October, 2022. Project is funded with external funding by the Grant from the Research Council of Lithuania. Supervisor prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas.

Research grants

Research projects

International collaborations


Student internship research project ‘Traumatic experiences and post-traumatic stress responses in the context of development’ (2018-2019). This research is funded by the European Social Fund under the No 09.3.3- LMT-K-712 ‘Development of Competences of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities’ measure. Student M. Kvedaraite, supervisor prof. dr. E. Kazlauskas.

Student internship research project ‘Violence against women: posttrau-matic stress risk factors’ (2018). This research was funded by the European Social Fund under the No 09.3.3- LMT-K-712 ‘Development of Competences of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities’ measure. Student M. Kvedaraite, supervisor prof. dr. E. Kazlaus-

COST action proposal (submitted). ‘European network on health and social responses to terrorist attacks’ (Respond). Number of partner institutions - 27.

H2020 Euratom Call NFRP-2018 (submitted). ‘Cooperation on Chernobyl health research for better integration’ (CO-CHER Integra). Topic NFRP-2018-8. Number of partner institutions - 23. Budget of the proposal 6,022,512 EUR.

Research Group Initiatives Research Projects Call (submitted). ‘Challenges for psychotrauma recognition: underlying psychosocial mechanisms and potential for change‘ (T-REC). Research project submitted to the Research Council of Lithuania.

Research Grants

Submitted grants proposals


Referred journal articles

Schäfer, I., Hopchet, M., Vandamme, N., Ajdukovic, D., El-Hage, W., Egreteau, L., Javakhishvili, J., Makhashvili, N., Lampe, A., Ardion, V., Kazlaus-kas, E., Mouthaan, J., Sijbrandij, M., Dragan, M., Lis-Turlejska, M., Figueire-do-Braga, M., Sales, L., Arnberg, F., Nazarenko, T., Nalyvaiko, N., Armour, C., & Murphy, D. (in press). Trauma and trauma care in Europe. European Jour-nal of Psychotraumatology. doi:10.1080/20008198.2018.1556553

Knefel, M., Lueger-Schuster, B., Bisson, J., Karatzias, T., Kazlauskas, E., & Neil, P. R. (in press). A cross-cultural comparison of ICD-11 Complex PTSD symptom networks in Austria, Lithuania, and UK. Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Paliaukiene, V., Kazlauskas, E., Eimontas, J., & Skeryte-Kazlauskiene, M. (2018). Music performance anxiety among students of the academy in Lith-uania. Music Education Research, 20(3), 390–397. doi:10.1080/14613808.2018.1445208

Eimontas, J., Gegieckaite, G., Dovydaitiene, M., Mazulyte, E., Rimsaite, Z., Skruibis, P., Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). The role of therapist sup-port on effectiveness of an internet-based modular self-help intervention for adjustment disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 31, 146–158. doi:10.1080/10615806.2017.1385065

Kazlauskas, E., Gegieckaite, G., Hyland, P., Zelviene, P., & Cloitre, M. (2018). The structure of ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD in Lithuanian mental health services. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 9, 1414559. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1414559

Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). Adjustment disorder: Current perspec-tives. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 14, 375–381. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121072

Kazlauskas, E., Gegieckaite, G., Eimontas, J., Zelviene, P., & Maercker, A. (2018). A brief measure of the International Classification of Diseases-11 adjustment disorder: Investigation of psychometric properties in adult help-seeking sample. Psychopathology, 51, 10–15. doi:10.1159/000484415

Publications


Eimontas, J., Gegieckaite, G., Dovydaitiene, M., Mazulyte, E., Rimsaite, Z., Skruibis, P., Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). The role of therapist sup-port on effectiveness of an internet-based modular self-help intervention for adjustment disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 31, 146–158. doi:10.1080/10615806.2017.1385065

Kazlauskas, E., Zelviene, P., Lorenz, L., Quero, S., & Maercker, A. (2017). A scoping review of ICD-11 adjustment disorder research. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8, 1421819. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1421819

Karatzias, T., Cloitre, M., Maercker, A., Kazlauskas, E., Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., Bisson, J., Roberts, N.P., & Brewin, C.R. (2017). PTSD and complex PTSD: ICD -11 updates on concept and measurement in the UK, USA, Germany and Lithuania. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8, 1418103. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1418103

Book chapters

Meili, I., Gegieckaite, G., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). Metaphors of Posttrau-matic Growth: A Qualitative Study in Swiss, Lithuanian, and Brazilian Rural Communities. In A. Maercker, E. Heim, & L. J. Kirmayer (Eds.). Cultural Clini-cal Psychology and PTSD. (pp. 141–156). Hogrefe Publishing.

Publications


Zelviene, P., Daniunaite, I., Kvedaraite, M., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). Psicho-loginės traumos ir atsparumas paauglystėje. [Psychological trauma and re-silience among youth]. Kasmetinė Lietuvos psichiatrų konferencija „Ankstyvosios vaikystės traumos įtaka psichikos sutrikimų išsivystymui, jų diagnostikai ir gydymui“ [Annual conference of Lithuanian Psychiatrists]. Vilnius, Lithuania, 19 December, 2018.

Maercker, A., Kazlauskas, E., Lueger-Schuster, B., Jokic-Begic, N., & Popiel, A. (2018). How clinical psychologists from Eastern Europe integrate their agen-das with Europe’s other regions? Inaugural meeting of European Association on Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT). Linköping, Sweden, 2-3 November, 2018.

Urbanaviciute, I., Grazulyte, D., Kazlauskas, E., Norkiene, I., Kezyte, G., Sa-bestinaite, A., Kolevinskaite, S., Zelviene, P., Korsakaite, G., Ringaitiene, D., & Sipylaite, J., (2018). Posttraumatic stress 5-years after cardiac surgery. 9th International Baltic Congress of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Management. Vilnius, Lithuania, 25-27 October, 2018.

Kolevinskaite, S., Grazulyte, D., Kazlauskas, E., Norkiene, I., Kezyte, G., Zelviene, P., Korsakaite, G., Urbanaviciute, I., Sabestinaite, A., Ringaitiene, D., & Sipylaite, J. (2018). Long-term quality of life following elective cardiac surgery: preliminary findings of a 5-year follow-up study. 9th International Baltic Congress of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Management. Vilnius, Lithuania, 25-27 October, 2018.

Zelviene, P. (2018). Trauma research in Lithuania. Health services research in the wake of terrorist attacks and collective trauma. Oslo, Norway, 6-7 September, 2018.

Grazulyte, D., Norkiene, I., Kazlauskas, E., Zelviene, P., Korsakaite, G., Ringai-tiene, D., & Sipylaite, J. (2018). Long-term quality of life following heart sur-gery: preliminary findings of a 5-year follow-up study. 33rd EACTA Annual Congress. Manchester, England, 19-21 September, 2018.

Zelviene, P., Kvedaraite, M., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). Understanding trauma:

coping with negative life events. Workshop. International Psychology Stu-

dent Exchange between Ireland and Lithuania. Vilnius, Lithuania, 12-21 Au-

gust, 2018.

Conference presentations


Stupnianek, K., Schmitt, M., & Grigutyte, N. (2018). The stability of belief in a just world when experiencing injustice: Effects of procedural justice. 7th Bi-ennial Meeting of the International Society for Justice Research (ISJR). Atlan-ta, Georgia, 25-28 July, 2018.

Szczepaniak, M., Eimontas, J., Kazlauskas, E., & Cieslak, R. (2018). A meta-analysis on the longitudinal relationship between PTSD symptom clusters. 39th STAR Conference, Stress Anxiety And Resilience. Lublin, Poland, 10-13 July, 2018.

Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). Adult adjustment disorder: A moder-ating effect of childhood abuse. Lithuanian Congress of Psychology. Klaipėda, Lithuania, 17–19 May, 2018.

Zelviene, P., Kazlauskas, E., Kvedaraite, M., & Dirvelyte, S. (2018). Evidence-based specialized psychotraumatological EMDR treatment in Lithuania. Lith-uanian Congress of Psychology. Klaipėda, Lithuania, 17-19 May, 2018.

Eimontas, J., & Kazlauskas, E. (2018). How much of internet-based self-help is enough for adjustment disorder? Findings from a randomized controlled trial comparing regular self-help vs. self-help with therapist support on de-mand. 5th conference of the European Society for Research on Internet In-terventions. Dublin, Ireland, 19-20 April, 2018.

Training and clinical services

Conference presentations

Training

These trainings for mental health professionals are provided at the Center:

Assessment of trauma-related disorders;

Training workshops on trauma-focused treatments.

Clinical sevices

These outpatient services are available at the Center:

Assessment of trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders;

Evidence based trauma-focused treatments.

Center for Psychotraumatology

Universiteto str. 9

01513 Vilnius

Lithuania

E-mail: [email protected]

www.ptc.fsf.vu.lt

center for psychotraumatology

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